This invention relates to boxing machines, and more particularly to machines for the automated boxing of soft stacked items, such as with packs of loose plastic bags and the like.
While many aspects of manufacturing and packaging have been automated, one area that still requires a considerable amount of human labor is the loading of boxes with soft and flexible goods, such as packs of plastic bags. Unlike the packing of discretely sized, relatively incompressible, and/or individually packaged objects into boxes, soft goods, such as stacked of plastic bags and the like are not easy to load into boxes since they tend to be shift around. Therefore, presently workers must box these items by hand. This boxing represents a significant labor expense.
In the process of manufacturing packs of plastic bags, such as packs of T-shirt bags and merchandise bags are created with many individual bags held together loosely in alignment. The bags in the pack can shift if not handled carefully.
The process of manufacturing T-shirt and merchandise bags involves providing tubular plastic film material. For seamless side edge bags, a continuous tubular plastic film is provided. Likewise, larger diameter tubular material can be formed into multiple tubes by forming side seams. For bags with gussets, a gusseting station folds sides of the plastic material inwardly at two sides. The tubular plastic film is then cut and seemed at bottom and optionally top ends to form closed bottom bags. For T-shirt bags, a top edge of the bag is sealed to form xe2x80x9cpillowcasesxe2x80x9d. The individual bags are then stacked in alignment, and further die cutting of the stacked bags is carried out to form the bag packs. The individual bags are held together in alignment by frangible pressure bonds, by adhesive spots, by hot welds, and the like. After the packs of bags are formed, then a number of packs are placed into boxes. This process is presently carried out by hand labor, with one worker typically manning a single bag manufacturing line. After the boxes are loaded, they are closed, and are loaded onto pallets. This process is highly labor intensive and adds significantly to the overall manufacturing costs.
There according remains a need for an automated boxing device for deformable goods, such as packs of bags and the like.
The invention provides a boxing device for packaging pliable objects having a length and width into boxes and for use in combination with a conveyor device upon which the objects to be boxed are placed.
The invention further provides an automated boxing device for packaging multiple packs of pliable packs of plastic bags having a footprint area into cardboard boxes that ensures that the plastic bag packs are properly placed therein.
The invention also provides a boxing device for packaging pliable objects having a length and width into boxes and for use in combination with a conveyor device upon which the objects to be boxed are placed, the boxing device having a trapdoor unit, a box conveying unit, a tramping unit, and a control unit.
The invention yet further provides a boxing device for packaging pliable objects having a length and width into boxes, cartons, and other containers without need for a conveyor device.
The yet further provides an automated method of boxing pliable objects having a footprint area into a box.